What You Give
by Ch3rry1010
Summary: Percy songfic. His feet lead him to the place he needs to be. His first steps to saying sorry.


_Disclaimer: I don't and never shall own Harry Potter. The characters are property of JK and WB...I'm just using them for guilty pleasure. The song is not mine either, "Every Word Was A Piece Of My Hear" belongs to Bon Jovi and once again I'm just using it for my own guilty pleasure_

_Warnings: Not book compliant._

_AN: So random piece that came up, I might build on to this but it'll be more a gathering of one shots or turn into something substantial. My mind has yet to decide._

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_What You Give_

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Percy took a seat at an empty table hidden in the shadows, away from the dim lights of the small cafe. This had become his usual seat.

It was the type of place you learned existed by the short ominous burst of people pouring in and out of alley ways and into the streets. The room's composed of old furniture with more-than-likely stolen back yard picnic sets. The door man looks like a vagabond king with a broken nose and shredded army coat. Scents of caffeine, liquor, tobacco and perfumes linger in the air. There are Polaroid's of local bands and people smiling their half-drunk grins at the camera.

He's come here a few times, those times he allowed his feet lead. Trying to escape the war, his family, the hurt he'd caused his mother, the lies he'd committed in the name of the Ministry. He came here, ordered a drink and never paid for them, and was never called on it.

People left him Alone, and occasionally someone would look over and send him a coy smile.

He chose to turn away from those looks. More people only added un-needed numbers into the difficult messy equation his life has become too quickly. He kept what little he could clean of that mess. This place was that clean spot in the dirty kitchen of his mind.

He always sits alone, because the same table is empty every time his feet guide him here. Down the littered streets of Muggle London, down the shady smelling alley way and down the cracking green painted cement steps he is surprised. He startled when she sits, body occupying the chair across from his own, with a dazed smile placing down two drinks.

No one bothered him here. Even thought his pale skin glows beneath the dim lights and shines too strongly when black lights come on. Even though his red hair if a flame in its windblown unkempt late night state. They kept their respectful distance, he'd always been unknowingly thankful for that.

"You've come here nearly every other night for a month." She said with that lax smile. Her voice indefinable, a voice that you heard laughing in the crowd.

"Why do you come here; to forget, remember, live, breathe, die, pause button, is this becoming your cage or your sanctuary?" She pushed the second drink towards him.

"Drink it, cactus flower martini. You'll like it." He opened his mouth, "Don't say nothin' just drink first." He took a sip, let the vodka burn down his throat and let the glass rest on the unsteady table.

"First time you came in, knew ya'd be a regular. Took a bit but you been comin' 'bout four months now." She played with a strand of hair and looked at the water stained wall his back rested on. "Kept a tab for ya, don't need ta pay until the end of the year. Don't charge much here, we don't got a liquor license.

"Take another drink."

He took a generous sip and shivered at the burn. She laughed a bit and took a deep drink of whatever was in her own glass. "It's more vodka than anything else but that's the way I like it.

"I ain't gonna ask your name or what's eatin' you. This ain't the kind of place, if ya don't want it to be, I'm just gonna introduce myself. It's a pleasure to meet you Phoenix, I'm Chimera the horrid owner of this shack." She nodded her head and raised her glass.

He followed and with a clink they downed anther burning gulp. "You done stuck round long 'nough to get up on stage, un-written rule. And just so ya don't back down, gotta do it t'night."

Percy felt the panic begin to rise in his stomach and then flow down...away from him. He looked at her, could she be a witch? He'd never thought to check if wizards came to an establishment such as this. But then again, here he was so maybe caution should be used, but it seemed too late for it now.

"'S why I gave ya the vodka, always easier gettin' up when the world don' matter. Ya can sing or receipt a piece, hell even crack a few jokes. Wanna get a bit more into this all and do a 'dance'" She wiggled her eyebrows at the word dance, "then go for it."

He wanted to laugh at her words, point out how preposterous that she would ask this of a person such as himself. The study-freak, introverted, shy, paranoid, idiot such as himself. But then he knew she wasn't asking, she was demanding it of him with her lazy smile and dirty hair that reminded him too much of Snape.

He stopped those thoughts before they began in earnest because Snape meant Hogwarts, his siblings, his family, Harry Potter, the war....so he let the thoughts die. He was learning, Vodka made that easier to do.

And maybe he was a bit drunk because he wanted to listen, obey her demand. He'd never been a terrific drinker, never could hold his liquor and butter beer had always been enough to get him buzzed. So maybe he drank just a bit too much of the vodka filled martini because he was standing and she was falling in line next to him.

"I don't know mu...much, many songs well enough to sing them properly but I know a few." He could walk straight and that was incredibly funny to him. Because he knew he wanted to laugh at walking straight he knew he was drunk enough to go up on that tiny stage because he never wanted to laugh not like this.

To let this hysterical bubble that was sitting in his chest just waiting for the right moment out.

"What you gonna sing Phoenix?" She asked helping him to the stage which was nothing more than a piece of cement raised a few inches off the dirty floor.

Percy smiled at her, his best winning smile. Drunk as he felt she patted his hand helping him sit on a uneven wooden stool balanced by a few pieces of well placed cardboard.

The only songs he knew where the ones that came through the walls of his apartment from the neighbor who seemed to never stop or turn down the stereo. Old songs and new songs slowly strumming through the cracking plaster of the ancient muggle building. Someone had said it survived the last Great War... but he didn't want to think about war so he smiled and let her put the funny looking microphone in his hands.

"I am unaware of the title, but she plays it over and over again, the neighbor child. I hear it through the crumbling walls, those depressing walls far from proper shelter." He stared at the mic then back at her, his eyes roving over them both before settling on the broken stand a few feet away from him.

"Tell me the words little flame, we'll see if you need a hand."

"Am I acting just a little too proud..." He enunciated every word too much and she smiled.

"Be right back." And she was, because he closed his eyes and she was gone and then he opened them and she was there again some muggle instrument that looked like something that belonged to a bard in hand.

"I'll start it up right, then you just flow to it." Percy nodded with closed eyes because the glaring light over head was making his eyes burn.

He heard her count and then he was singing the song with an unknown title that always made him think of options he never wanted to consider and in general made him think too much.

_"I've been staring at the page for what seems like days  
I guess I put this one off for a while  
Did I see a tear fall from your eyes ?  
Or did you laugh so hard that you cried ?  
When I served my secrets on a silver tray to you (hey now)"_

Then he could hear her voice lingering with his, a gentle tone backing him up. Body swaying to the melody as the words came out from somewhere deep inside. A magic he'd never known, never heard of came from him, he was using it without proper understanding or knowledge.

_"Hey now, I guess the night's just bringing me down  
There's no love, there's no hate  
I left them there for you to take  
But know that every word was a piece of my heart (hey now)"_

This time he decided he was not going to be afraid of this something new; he wasn't going to run away. Not like all the other times in his life.

Not like the moment he fled his family in a flurry of cruel words and fear because he did not want to admit the war was coming. Not when he ran off the Hogwarts Express for the last time after Oliver's lips met his in an awkward kiss he'd never expected on a conscious level. Not when his father stopped trying to grab his attention with little antics at the Ministry and he denied that he did not miss the foolish attempts.

_"You've been the blood in my veins  
The only one who knows my middle name  
And the smiles, they came easy 'cause of you (hey now)  
You know that I love you, but I hate you  
'Cause I know I can never escape you  
So let the choir sing for tonight I'm an easy mark (hey now)  
Hey now, am I acting just a little too proud ? "_

Then her voice was with his once more. Mingling behind by a few syllables, keeping a smooth touch in contradict his own rough version. The word's he thought he'd forget in a ambust of lights and eyes focused on him came flooding back with the gentle string of melody as she played.

'Maybe she is witch who's poisoned me.' The though floated through his head before vanishing in the heat of stage light.

_"There's no love, there's no hate  
I left them there for you to take  
But know that every word was a piece of my heart (hey now)  
Have I said too much  
Maybe I haven't said enough  
But know that every word was a piece of my heart (hey now)"_

Percy felt more then heard the moment her voice left him again. Let his harsh interpretation of the gentle song flood the room alone. Leaving him solo, letting him walk a path he knew alone.

_"Hush me darling, maybe I've lost my touch  
Maybe I've lost my guts  
There, is that truth enough ?_

_Hey now, hey now..."_

Before the feeling of alone invaded his mind and his voice she was with him again. The whispered guide that kept his 'thinking too much mind' calm for a moment.

_"You know these love letters mix with whisky  
Just don't light a match when you kiss me  
Though I'll blow away, you know I'll be back soon (hey now)  
Hey now, hey now, hey now, am I talking just a little too loud?"_

He kept his breath for a moment, trying to regain the sobriety he'd had when he stepped through the door. Exhaling when he realized it was a futile attempt.

He was alone again. The song words living by his voice. Her hands keeping the rhythm as he dragged out each question in the words and each cold emotion he felt burned somewhere he did not desire to acknowledge.

Then the song was over, his voice dying in the echo of the room as her strings ended.

_"There's no love, there's no hate  
I left them there for you to take  
But know that every word was a piece of my heart (hey now)  
Have I said too much  
Maybe I haven't said enough  
But know that every word was a piece of my heart  
Hey now, am I talking just a little too proud ?  
Hey now, the night's just bringing me down"_

The claps and cheers from the other customers were startling.

It came to his realization that for a moment he'd forgotten the world existed beyond the annoyance of too hot stage lights and her finger tips on strings. Remembering reality turned pale skin redder than flame colored hair. He bowed politely before following her off stage quickly.

The lights moved back to the usual dim warm texture. Playing with shadows and obscuring faces as he made his way to the door. His drink from earlier left on the table carelessly.

Before he made it to the stairs leading upward a hand wrapped around his upper arm.

"Ya did great Phoenix. Check us out during the day sometime, don't know if ya noticed but the shop upstairs runs legally in the day light hours." She winked at him let her hand clasp his.

"Welcome to where ever it is ya need ta be Sparking." She headed back through the entry way, stopping just once.

"Take an umbrella with ya, Mum likes to show her gratitude for the lost ones findin' it right."

Percy wasn't sure what she meant by it but thoughtfully grab for a random umbrella sitting in a bucket by the door. Outside the Vagabond King nodded his good-byes and let him pass.

He kept the umbrella by his side and walked out into the alley way.

The same dirty alley way that smells of waste and human excess. Black tar paths glowing in flickering blue light that electrified the insects not clever enough to realize death awaited them in the comforting glow.

Stepping back onto the side street's even cement he felt the first drops of rain. For a moment he wondered, what did he look like. A rumpled young man in torn muggle gear starring up into rain clouds. Umbrella opened and laying his feet. He allowed himself a moment too think if some hiding stranger would be the next one to walk down the dirty trail.

Getting treated to a vodka martini called another name and pouring their soul out into shadowed faces. He smiled for that moment before reaching down grasping the plastic handle and letting the collected water fall onto his messed hair.

Tomorrow he would listen to the songs that came through the wall with more intent. Tomorrow he would take a proper lunch and let his feet lead him. If he made it back late, his eyes never focused on the surprised stares, still focused on where his feet led him.

Because they seemed to be making surprising trips these days. One's the led him in the right direction more than any leading smile ever had.

End

_ Cp. 9:33PM Mon 08/18/08 'Piece of My Heart' Bon Jovi 'It's A Wild World & What You Give' Tesla I've been working on this for an hour and a half, still have to edit and what not, think its alright. There will be more if i don't get too lazy. alright, here, going to call sister. hope everyone will like it. (Typed, House)_


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